South Florida Fishing Heats Up: Redfish, Kingfish, and More!

Howdy anglers, Artificial Lure here with your Florida Keys and Miami fishing report for this beautiful Saturday morning, May 17th, 2025.

The heat is on, folks! Both the weather and the fishing action are heating up across South Florida waters. We're looking at warm temperatures today with lighter winds making for some calm seas, perfect for getting out there.

In the Florida Keys, redfish are absolutely on fire right now on the flats. According to Captain Ridge Murphy's report from earlier this week, the inshore action has been stellar with reds actively feeding during the morning tides. If you're heading offshore in the Keys, mahi (dorado) are scattered but becoming more consistent as we move deeper into May.

Down in Miami, we're seeing what locals call "meat fish" season in full swing. Blackfin tuna and kingfish have pushed into shallower water and have been hitting hard, especially during early morning and late evening hours. Some anglers have been landing kingfish in the 30+ pound class, so keep those wire leaders handy for those toothy critters!

The mutton snapper bite has been excellent, particularly on live bait presentations. According to guides working out of Miami, these tasty bottom dwellers have been chewing consistently when presented with the right offering. Grouper season opened on May 1st, so don't miss your chance to target these bruisers on the wrecks and reefs.

For those shark enthusiasts out there, reports indicate solid action when using big live baits. Several Miami charters have reported consistent shark action within sight of the skyline.

Best baits right now include live pilchards, threadfin herring, and goggle eyes for the pelagics. If you're bottom fishing, fresh cut bonito or live pinfish have been producing well for muttons and groupers.

As for artificial offerings (my personal specialty!), silver spoons and white bucktail jigs have been working wonders for the redfish on the flats. Offshore, blue/white trolling lures and darker-colored surface poppers have been attracting the attention of kingfish and blackfin.

Hot spots to check out include the edge in 120-180 feet of water off Miami for the kingfish and tuna action. In the Keys, try Hawk Channel for permit and the Gulf-side flats for those redfish. The Islamorada humps are starting to hold some decent tuna schools as well.

Tarpon migration should be in full swing any day now, so keep your eyes peeled for rolling silver kings, especially around the bridges and channels.

Remember folks, the early bird gets the worm, or in our case, the fish! Dawn patrols have been most productive, so set those alarms and get out there before the midday heat hits.

This is Artificial Lure saying tight lines and bent rods to all you South Florida anglers! See y'all on the water.